Buckle for stirrup straps



April 4, R950 L. H. HAMLEY BUCKLE FOR STIRRUP STRAPS Filed March 14,1944 Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUCKLE FORSTIRRUP STRAPS Lester H. Hamley, Pendleton, Oreg.

Application March 14, 1944, Serial No. 526,440

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to the saddles art and particularly toa buckle for stirrup straps.

The main object of this invention is to provide an exceedingly simpleand efiicient form of buckle for adjusting the length of a stirrupstrap.

The second object is to construct a buckle of the class describedwhereby a stirrup strap may be easily adjusted in a fraction of the timeordinarily required for this purpose.

The third object is to produce a buckle of the class described which hasbut one part and which will not become inoperative for any ordinaryreason.

A further object is to construct a buckle of the class described whichwill not be bulky or cumbersome and whose holding action will beincreased as the strains thereon increase.

I accomplish these and other objects in a manner set forth in thefollowing specification as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a stirrup strap viewed from the sidenearer the horse.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the buckle at an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the buckle.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the buckle.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5--5 in Fig. 4 and showingfragments of the related leather portions of the stirrup strap.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a common form offender in, whose up er end ll passes through the supporting ring I?! ofsaddle l3, which is merely indicated a forms no part of the presentinvention. The end H, which passes through the ring I2, turn downwardlyto form the stirrup strap 14 which is provided with dual perforationsIS.

The lower end I6 of the fender l0 terminates in the two fastening strapsI1 and I8, to whic is secured the loop IS. The usual stirrup 25! isattached by means of the bolt 2|. The portions thus far referred to arethose in common use.

Referring more particularly to my invention. same will be seen toconsist of a buckle B composed of a back plate 22 and a front plate 23.which is stepped with relation to said back plate and spaced from andinclined slightly with relation to the back plate 22 and held in fixedrelation thereto by the side members 24. The front plate 23 hasprojecting therefrom the two hooks 25 which extend in the direction ofthe back plate 22 and slightly beyond the outermost face of the backplate 22. The back plate 22 is provided with two perforations 26 toreceive the 2 rivets 21, by means of which the buckle is attached to thefastening straps H and Hi.

In the use of this device it is only necessary to pass the strap end 28between the plates 22 and 23, permitting the hooks 25 to enter the setof holes l5 which will provide the desired stirrup length. It can beseen that the greater the strain placed on the stirrup 20 the morefirmly will the hooks 25 engage the holes l5. There is no possibility ofthe parts becoming disengaged unless they are purposely manipulated in amanner that the strap 14 may be freed from the hooks 25, which it isnecessary to do before the stirrup length can be changed.

In other words, the strap end 28 must be placed perpendicular to theplane of the buckle between the members 22 and '23 in order that thestrap may pass between same. Then when the prongs 25 are in contact withthe proper pair of openings !5 in the strap to give the properadjustment, the buckle is tilted to a position in the same plane as thestrap I 4.

While I have thus illustrated and described my invention, it is not myintention to be limited to the precise form shown herein, and I intendto cover such forms and modifications of the invention as fall fairlywithin the appended claim.

I claim:

A buckle for stirrup straps, consisting of a flat back plate perforatedto permit straps to be secured to opposite faces thereof, andterminating along one edge of the plate, a front plate offset from saidback plate and inclined with relation thereto, said front plate havingone edge adjacent to said back plate and spaced therefrom, and havingthe opposite edge sloping toward the plane of the back plate, thesloping edge having a curved form, the rear side of which is providedwith hooks curved toward the back plate and extending beyond the planeof the back plate, and a pair of fiat side plates integral with saidfront and back plates and pointed toward the opposite ends of thebuckle.

LESTER H. HAMLEY.

REFERENCES CITEB The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date I 271,564 Zeller Jan. 30, 1883340,674 Newman Apr. 27, 1886 751,585 Welch Feb. 9, 1904 885,701Patterson Apr. 21, 1908 926,634 Anderson June 29, 1909 1,397,673Buchsbaum Nov. 22, 1921

